I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Brussels sprouts get a bad rap. I heart Brussels sprouts. They are a very versatile vegetable. You can steam, boil, roast, and sauté them, plus they work with so many different flavor combinations. I love the texture, flavor, and wanted to find some great recipes to show off their versatility this week.
Last year when I was experimenting with pomegranate arils, I made this fabulous Brussels Sprouts with Pomegranate Balsamic Glaze dish. The Brussels sprouts were roasted in the oven and then served with the glaze that transformed this vegetable into a toasted, tangy dish. Definitely give this recipe a shot if you have some pomegranates on hand. It was seriously good.
I wanted to highlight this vegetable again, and I came across two more really interesting dishes that opened my eyes to brand new ways to eat Brussels sprouts. I know a lot of people think that these mini cabbages have a weird taste to them, but I believe if you either roast or sauté them, you bring out the best in this veggie. So the two recipes I’m featuring this week have the Brussels sprouts sautéed to caramelize them and create great flavor.
Recipes
Recipe #1: Oregano Brussels Sprouts
This first recipe initially got me thinking about doing a Brussels Sprout week. Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks always has such a great take on eating vegetables in new, creative ways. I knew I could count on her to honor this veggie in an inspired way.
The recipe has two steps and comes together pretty quickly. First off, you need to make an oregano pesto sauce that will be drizzled over the sautéed Brussels sprouts. It comes together in a snap using a food processor, and creates a lovely sauce to dress up the vegetable. Second, the Brussels sprouts are sautéed in a large pan for about 7 or 8 minutes total. Then the sauce is drizzled over the top.
From here, you could have a side dish that I think would taste great alongside pork, for instance. Heidi also suggests that if you wanted to make a meal out of the Brussels sprouts, you could serve them over rice, quinoa, farro, or on top of a frittata. I chose to server mine over some quinoa, because I love it, and I had quinoa on hand. It was so delicious with a little more of the oregano pesto drizzled over the dish and then topped with a handful of toasted almonds. I loved the idea of using the quinoa to extend the dish and make a full meal out of it!
This recipe was so delicious that I had to call my mom and tell her how good it was immediately after my first bite. Then I got off the phone as soon as I could to finish eating it up! The oregano flavor worked well with the Brussels sprouts, and I used some more of the oregano pesto to flavor the leftover quinoa and Brussels sprouts before refrigerating it. The leftovers were just as good!
Please do me a favor and brave any Brussels sprout phobias you might have and try this dish. It’s a great way to eat this vegetable using ingredients that your friends and family already love! Click here for the recipe and step by step instructions.
Recipe #2: Thai-Style Brussels Sprouts
The name as well as the ingredients caught my attention straight away. I saw a post on Twitter for the recipe from Laurie at the site Relishing It, and I was sucked in. It was official after finding this recipe that it was definitely going to be all about Brussels Sprouts this week.
I actually finished my food this time before calling my mom to tell her how delicious this dish was, mainly because I couldn’t bear to put my plate down. I have never cooked with fish sauce or used sriracha in the kitchen, so I was really excited to try these ingredients and see how they worked with this veggie.
The combination of the Brussels sprouts, fish sauce, cilantro, lime juice, peanuts and sriracha was fabulous! Everything worked well, was balanced and harmonious, and it made my mouth sing! I loved every single bite and nearly licked my plate!
This recipe came together in a snap. What made this recipe incredibly interesting to me was the fact that the Brussels sprouts are shredded. I had never thought of doing that before, but I adore shredded cabbage, so it makes perfect sense. Shredding the sprouts was certainly the most labor intensive part of this process, but there was something kind of therapeutic about cutting them. And once they are shredded, this dish is complete in a matter of 7 minutes tops. All that is required is to saute the sprouts and toss them with some fish sauce and cilantro off the heat. Then take up the dish and top it with lime juice, peanuts, and sriracha and ta-da…magic!
For all of you Thai-loving, spicy food eating foodies out there, this dish is for you. And for those of you that aren’t quite sure or are a little scared, make it anyway. I can’t wait to cook this recipe again. Please do me a favor and cook this dish and let me know your thoughts, because I know this recipe totally blew me away.
The recipe and step by step instructions can be found here.
What I was cooking up a year ago: Perfecting Gnocchi
Featuring two different recipes for gnocchi, which I then used as the inspiration to determine my “ultimate” gnocchi dish.
Leave a Reply